Humana to Celebrate National Vietnam War Veterans Day with Pinning & Proclamation Ceremony, Health Fair

-- Humana Working to Combat Food Insecurity Among Veterans with Donation Drive

What: Humana Inc., one of Tennessee’s largest Medicare health benefits companies and the health benefits provider to more than 6-million service men and women and their families, will celebrate National Vietnam War Veterans Day with a free Health & Services Fair and a Pinning & Proclamation Ceremony for Veterans. Living U.S. military veterans who served during the Vietnam War period are invited to attend and will receive one honorary Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin as a lasting memento of the nation’s thanks for their service. Knoxville-area veterans and health organizations will also be on hand to provide information on their resources and programs for veterans and the community.

Humana is also coordinating a donation drive to benefit East Tennessee veterans and support our nation’s servicemen and women. With more than 20 percent of U.S. military veterans and their families being food insecure, Humana is partnering with the Knoxville community to address this key health care barrier. Humana has a Bold Goal in Knoxville to improve the health of the community 20 percent by 2020. Non-perishable food and men’s and women’s underwear and athletic sock donations can be dropped off at the Humana Knoxville location throughout the months of March and April.

For more information or to RSVP for the Pinning & Proclamation ceremony, please call the Humana Knoxville location at 865-329-8892. Everyone in the community is welcome to attend.

Info: Humana neighborhood locations help close the gap between people and the care they need to live healthier, happier lives. By partnering with the community and offering a place for people to connect with others, share common interests, and participate in fitness classes, health and wellness seminars, and disease-specific education classes -- at no cost -- Humana is making it easy for people to achieve their best health. The Humana Knoxville location also offers a host of free health and wellness activities and programs. The location is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

BB&T names Corts, Willett to new leadership roles

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – BB&T today announced Christian Corts has been named president for its Tennessee Region. Corts most recently served as the regional corporate banking manager for South Carolina in Greenville, S.C. He replaces Mike Willett who is relocating to Winston-Salem where he will join the tax exempt lending area within Community Banking Administration. The changes are effective immediately.

"Christian brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to a region that continues to have significant growth opportunities for us," said David Weaver, president, BB&T Community Banking. "His leadership skills and diverse lending background will be a tremendous asset to the region. Christian is well-suited to move into this important leadership role."

Corts, 32, has more than 10 years of banking experience. He joined BB&T through its Leadership Development Program in 2008. From 2009 to 2011, Corts was an asset-based lending client administration services manager in Winston-Salem, N.C. He relocated to Houston in 2011 where he served as an asset-based lending commercial finance specialist (2011-2013), regional corporate banker and regional corporate banking manager (2013-2016). In 2016, he was named the South Carolina Corporate Banking manager.

A native of Greenville, S.C., Corts received his bachelor's degree in finance from Samford University. He is as a board member for The Children’s Museum of the Upstate; a trustee of South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; and a graduate of Leadership South Carolina. He has served as a trustee of the Houston Grand Opera and as a banking advisory board member of the University of Houston, Bauer School of Business.

"I am truly excited about this new challenge and the opportunity to work with our exceptional regional team and clients," Corts said. "Tennessee has great growth potential, and I am eager to build on the momentum this team has established."

Willett, 57, has more than 33 years of financial services experience. Willett has been with BB&T since 1989. He has served as business services officer in Sanford, N.C.; city executive in Siler City and Wadesboro, N.C.; regional retail banking manager in the Western Region (N.C.); and city/area executive in Asheville, N.C. Willett was first named president for the Western in 2004 and then named regional president of Tennessee in 2013.

"Mike has done a terrific job in a number of different roles for BB&T," Weaver said. "His knowledge and experience will provide an immediate asset to a very important growth area in Community Banking."

Willett earned his bachelor's degree from Elon College and his MBA from Campbell. He is a native of Asheboro, N.C., and very active in the community serving on a number of various boards.

"The time I’ve spent with BB&T in the regions has been some of the most rewarding of my career," Willett said. "I’ve had the honor to work with great clients and great banking teams, and I look forward to this new challenge.”

BB&T operates 48 financial centers in Tennessee and divides its footprint into community bank regions – each with its own president – to keep decisions local and close to the customer.

About BB&T

BB&T is one of the largest financial services holding companies in the U.S. with $221.6 billion in assets and market capitalization of $38.9 billion as of Dec. 31, 2017. Building on a long tradition of excellence in community banking, BB&T offers a wide range of financial services including retail and commercial banking, investments, insurance, wealth management, asset management, mortgage, corporate banking, capital markets and specialized lending. Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., BB&T operates over 2,000 financial centers in 15 states and Washington, D.C. A Fortune 500 company, BB&T is consistently recognized for outstanding client service by Greenwich Associates for small business and middle market banking. More information about BB&T and its full line of products and services is available at BBT.com.

Civil Rights Veteran James Babington-Johnson Launches Campaign for Multimedia Business Plan for African American National Cable News Television Network

U.S.A. ThisWeek is to provide African Americans national news media representation for the first time in history.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., March 13, 2018 (Newswire.com) - James Babington-Johnson is in the process of raising more than $300,000 to produce a multimedia business plan for a new national cable news media television network to give African Americans a national news media presence and representation for the first time in history. The business plan will justify a minimum $200 million capital investment to launch the national cable news television network to serve an under-served African American market consisting of 44 million and growing spending of $1.1 trillion annually and counting.

James Babington-Johnson(Photo: Submitted)

The centerpiece of the multimedia business plan is the production of a television news day pilot to show a nation, and more importantly, potential investors a national news media concept that’s competitive and all-inclusive, covering the interests, issues and concerns of black Americans and imposing accountability where it has never been.

Babington-Johnson, a veteran of the civil rights movement and former executive director of the Institute of African American Studies describes his game plan. “Our objective is to fill this longstanding news media void that’s lacking and give African Americans a news media presence in the national news media arena. So far, we don’t have a team on the field.”

It's so ingrained in the culture of the news media that many of the black and white journalists and reporters are unaware of their complicity in engaging in these updated racist practices. With U.S.A. ThisWeek, not only are we filling a news media void, we're demonstrating our ability to monitor and expose racist practices that have otherwise gone unchecked, unnoticed, and unaccountable.

The plan is to establish a 24/7 national cable news television network and a 24/7 online news magazine providing African Americans with national news media representation for the first time in history.

“We will bring information to the public forum that has heretofore gone unreported, being either dismissed, ignored or overlooked,” explains Babington-Johnson. “We can’t expect the mainstream news media to prioritize issues, interests and concerns of African Americans. That’s our responsibility, which we are now embracing and putting a team on the field.”

According to Babington-Johnson, there have been updated versions of pre-civil rights racist traditions and practices involving law enforcement and the news media that have gone undeterred. He says, “It doesn’t happen in every instance but often enough to show it’s as real in the news media as the code of silence is in law enforcement. It’s so ingrained in the culture of the news media that many of the black and white journalists and reporters are unaware of their complicity in engaging in these practices that have otherwise gone unchecked, unnoticed and unaccountable.

"With this press release and our campaign, at a minimum, we will have already achieved a major victory. No longer will there be this widespread ignorance and unawareness among black and white Americans of this structural racial news media inequality problem waiting to be addressed."

To learn more about Babington-Johnson’s media endeavor and contribute to the development of the multimedia business plan, visit USAThisWeek.com.

About U.S.A. ThisWeek

U.S.A. ThisWeek is a national news media endeavor to be launched by James Babington-Johnson. The national news media endeavor will consist of a 24-7 cable news television network and a 24-7 online news magazine representing black Americans. It’s launch means 44 million black Americans will no longer be without a national voice. To learn more visit USAThisWeek.com.

PFJ hearts AHA

Pilot Flying J presented the American Heart Association with $981,000 on Wednesday afternoon, results of a February fundraiser for the association’s “Life Is Why We Give” campaign.

That makes Knoxville-based Pilot Flying J one of the nation’s top five fundraisers for the AHA, according to a news release.

“Presenting this donation to the American Heart Association on behalf of Pilot Flying J team members and guests is a proud moment for our company,” Ken Parent, president of Pilot Flying J and AHA board member, said in the announcement. “It’s our hope that our campaign raised awareness among our team members and guests, inspiring them to put heart health first for themselves and their loved ones. Thank you to everyone for their outstanding support and generosity, contributing to a healthier tomorrow for all those impacted by heart disease and stroke.”

During February the fuel and convenience chain sold red hot-beverage cups, with 20 cents going to the AHA for each one; sold paper heart icons and took online donations; and let customers round up purchases to the nearest dollar, donating the rounded amount to the AHA.

On Valentine’s Day, half of each $2 sale of Nestle Pure Life water went to the campaign, the news release said.

“Pilot Flying J’s passion in supporting our mission was apparent throughout the campaign planning and execution,” Aaron Bishop, senior vice president of development for the American Heart Association’s Greater Southeast Affiliate, said in the news release. “Our work would not be possible without the generous support of committed companies like these who provide donation opportunities to their guests and teams, and Pilot Flying J brought enthusiasm, creativity and hard work to bear to be one of the most successful campaigns we’ve had.”

New owner for UT student apartments

A Columbus, Ohio apartment firm has bought Crowne at Campus Pointe, 2240 Grand Ave., a few blocks from the University of Tennessee, according to a news release.

“Crowne at Campus Pointe offered us the opportunity to acquire a core located student housing community with tremendous operational and capital investment driven upside potential,” Patrick McBride, managing partner of Coastal Ridge Real Estate, said in the news release. "We are excited to own and operated a community at the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee system.”

The 13-year-old complex rents from $870 to $1,934 per unit, offering washers and dryers, fireplaces, wireless internet and cable, swimming pool and other recreation, fitness center, study center, coffee lounge and dog park, according to the announcement.

Cold War Patriots Hosts Town Hall Meetings for Y-12, X-10/ORNL, and
K-25

Denver, Colo. (March 5, 2018) – Cold War Patriots (CWP), a community resource organization that is the nation’s strongest and most sustained voice advocating for worker benefits, will host free town hall meetings for nuclear weapons workers in Tennessee on March 19, 20, 21 and 22 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. With a new meeting format this year, CWP is making it easier for workers to get the specific information they need about the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).

The morning sessions, starting at 10 a.m., will be customized for people who have already applied for EEOICPA benefits and have either been awarded a U.S. Department of Labor white medical benefits card or have a pending claim. At the morning session, participants will learn:

• How to file for medical expense reimbursement
• How impairment ratings can get them more monetary compensation
• Why they should add conditions to a claim
• Why in-home care might be right for them

The 2 p.m. afternoon sessions are for workers who haven’t yet applied for their benefits or those who have applied but whose claims have been denied. The afternoon session participants will learn:

• If they qualify for up to $400,000 in monetary compensation and free healthcare
• How to apply for benefits
• What benefits are included
• How to reopen denied claims

“Our goal at CWP is to ensure the workers who helped keep America free by building the nation’s nuclear arsenal and are now suffering illness because of their sacrifice and service are connected with the monetary compensation and health benefits they have earned,” says Tim Lerew, CWP Chairperson. “By segmenting our presentations in this way, we can better help the workers with their individual situations, which can be overwhelming to navigate on their own.”

Lerew says anyone who worked at the Oak Ridge facilities or any other nuclear weapons facility is invited to attend a presentation. Resources will be on hand to help workers understand the financial and medical benefits available to them – including home healthcare – and to guide them through the process of proving the connection between their workplace exposure and their illness.

Below are the meeting dates and locations. Refreshments will be offered.

The EEOICPA program is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and offers monetary compensation and healthcare benefits to workers who participated in the nuclear weapons program from 1942 until the present day and became sick because of radiation exposure. Learn more at https://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/.

The Knoxville Bar Association is pleased to announce that a Legal Advice Clinic for Veterans will be held on March 14, 2017 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office at 1101 Liberty Street, Knoxville TN 37919. The Veterans’ Legal Advice Clinic is a joint project of the Knoxville Barristers, the Young Lawyers Division of the Knoxville Bar Association (KBA), KBA/Barristers Access to Justice Committees, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office, the University of Tennessee College of Law, and the local VA office. This is a general advice and referral clinic and it is anticipated to serve between 20 and 30 veterans in the community each month with a wide variety of legal issues, including family law, landlord/tenant, bankruptcy, criminal defense, consumer protection, contract disputes, child support, and personal injury, among other issues.

The Knoxville Bar Association is currently working on a number of initiatives to assist Tennessee veterans and has established lines of communication with a number of veterans' organizations to help identify and match local resources and needs.

Free Legal Advice Clinic for Veterans

DATES

Wednesday, March 14, 2017

Please feel free to print and distribute a copy of our flyer for this event to any interested parties.

TIME

12 Noon – 2:00 P.M.

LOCATION

Knox County Public Defender’s

Community Law Office
1101 Liberty Street

Knoxville, TN 37919

Attorneys will be available to provide consultations in legal issues such as:

· Landlord/tenant

· Veterans Benefits

· Bankruptcy

· Criminal defense

· Consumer protection

· Contract disputes

· Estate Planning

· Child support

· Personal injury

· General Legal Issues

The Veterans Legal Advice Clinic is a project sponsored by the Knoxville Bar Association (KBA), the Knoxville Barristers (the Young Lawyers Division of the KBA), Legal Aid of East of Tennessee, Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office, the University of Tennessee College of Law and the local Veteran’s Affairs Office.